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My　neighbor　touched　my　foot；　and　made　me　a　sign　to　look　at　Monsieur

Taillefer。　The　former　purveyor　had　negligently　dropped　his　hand　over

his　eyes；　but　between　the　interstices　of　his　fingers　we　thought　we

caught　a　darkling　flame　proceeding　from　them。



〃Hein？〃　she　said　in　my　ear；　〃what　if　his　name　were　Frederic？〃



I　answered　with　a　glance；　which　said　to　her：　〃Silence！〃



Hermann　continued：＇



〃Frederic！〃　cried　the　young　surgeon；　〃Frederic　basely　deserted　me。　He

must　have　been　afraid。　Perhaps　he　is　still　hidden　in　the　inn；　for　our

horses　were　both　in　the　courtyard　this　morning。　What　an

incomprehensible　mystery！〃　he　went　on；　after　a　moment's　silence。

〃Somnambulism！　somnambulism？　I　never　had　but　one　attack　in　my　life；

and　that　was　when　I　was　six　years　old。　Must　I　go　from　this　earth；〃　he

cried；　striking　the　ground　with　his　foot；　〃carrying　with　me　all　there

is　of　friendship　in　the　world？　Shall　I　die　a　double　death；　doubting　a

fraternal　love　begun　when　we　were　only　five　years　old；　and　continued

through　school　and　college？　Where　is　Frederic？〃



He　wept。　Can　it　be　that　we　cling　more　to　a　sentiment　than　to　life？



〃Let　us　go　in；〃　he　said；　〃I　prefer　to　be　in　my　cell。　I　do　not　wish　to

be　seen　weeping。　I　shall　go　courageously　to　death；　but　I　cannot　play

the　heroic　at　all　moments；　I　own　I　regret　my　beautiful　young　life。　All

last　night　I　could　not　sleep；　I　remembered　the　scenes　of　my　childhood；

I　fancied　I　was　running　in　the　fields。　Ah！　I　had　a　future；〃　he　said；

suddenly　interrupting　himself；　〃and　now；　twelve　men；　a　sub…lieutenant

shouting　'Carry…arms；　aim；　fire！'　a　roll　of　drums；　and　infamy！　that's

my　future　now。　Oh！　there　must　be　a　God；　or　it　would　all　be　too

senseless。〃



Then　he　took　me　in　his　arms　and　pressed　me　to　him　with　all　his

strength。



〃You　are　the　last　man；　the　last　friend　to　whom　I　can　show　my　soul。　You

will　be　set　at　liberty；　you　will　see　your　mother！　I　don't　know　whether

you　are　rich　or　poor；　but　no　matter！　you　are　all　the　world　to　me。　They

won't　fight　always；　'ceux…ci。'　Well；　when　there's　peace；　will　you　go

to　Beauvais？　If　my　mother　has　survived　the　fatal　news　of　my　death；　you

will　find　her　there。　Say　to　her　the　comforting　words；　'He　was

innocent！'　She　will　believe　you。　I　am　going　to　write　to　her；　but　you

must　take　her　my　last　look；　you　must　tell　her　that　you　were　the　last

man　whose　hand　I　pressed。　Oh；　she'll　love　you；　the　poor　woman！　you；　my

last　friend。　Here；〃　he　said；　after　a　moment's　silence；　during　which　he

was　overcome　by　the　weight　of　his　recollections；　〃all；　officers　and

soldiers；　are　unknown　to　me；　I　am　an　object　of　horror　to　them。　If　it

were　not　for　you　my　innocence　would　be　a　secret　between　God　and

myself。〃



I　swore　to　sacredly　fulfil　his　last　wishes。　My　words；　the　emotion　I

showed　touched　him。　Soon　after　that　the　soldiers　came　to　take　him

again　before　the　council　of　war。　He　was　condemned　to　death。　I　am

ignorant　of　the　formalities　that　followed　or　accompanied　this

judgment；　nor　do　I　know　whether　the　young　surgeon　defended　his　life　or

not；　but　he　expected　to　be　executed　on　the　following　day；　and　he　spent

the　night　in　writing　to　his　mother。



〃We　shall　both　be　free　to…day；〃　he　said；　smiling；　when　I　went　to　see

him　the　next　morning。　〃I　am　told　that　the　general　has　signed　your

pardon。〃



I　was　silent；　and　looked　at　him　closely　so　as　to　carve　his　features；

as　it　were；　on　my　memory。　Presently　an　expression　of　disgust　crossed

his　face。



〃I　have　been　very　cowardly；〃　he　said。　〃During　all　last　night　I　begged

for　mercy　of　these　walls；〃　and　he　pointed　to　the　sides　of　his　dungeon。

〃Yes；　yes；　I　howled　with　despair；　I　rebelled；　I　suffered　the　most

awful　moral　agonyI　was　alone！　Now　I　think　of　what　others　will　say　of

me。　Courage　is　a　garment　to　put　on。　I　desire　to　go　decently　to　death；

therefore〃







A　DOUBLE　RETRIBUTION



〃Oh；　stop！　stop！〃　cried　the　young　lady　who　had　asked　for　this　history；

interrupting　the　narrator　suddenly。　〃Say　no　more；　let　me　remain　in

uncertainty　and　believe　that　he　was　saved。　If　I　hear　now　that　he　was

shot　I　shall　not　sleep　all　night。　To…morrow　you　shall　tell　me　the

rest。〃



We　rose　from　table。　My　neighbor　in　accepting　Monsieur　Hermann's　arm；

said　to　him



〃I　suppose　he　was　shot；　was　he　not？〃



〃Yes。　I　was　present　at　the　execution。〃



〃Oh！　monsieur；〃　she　said；　〃how　could　you〃



〃He　desired　it；　madame。　There　was　something　really　dreadful　in

following　the　funeral　of　a　living　man；　a　man　my　heart　cared　for；　an

innocent　man！　The　poor　young　fellow　never　ceased　to　look　at　me。　He

seemed　to　live　only　in　me。　He　wanted；　he　said；　that　I　should　carry　to

his　mother　his　last　sigh。〃



〃And　did　you？〃



〃At　the　peace　of　Amiens　I　went　to　France；　for　the　purpose　of　taking　to

the　mother　those　blessed　words；　'He　was　innocent。'　I　religiously

undertook　that　pilgrimage。　But　Madame　Magnan　had　died　of　consumption。

It　was　not　without　deep　emotion　that　I　burned　the　letter　of　which　I

was　the　bearer。　You　will　perhaps　smile　at　my　German　imagination；　but　I

see　a　drama　of　sad　sublimity　in　the　eternal　secrecy　which　engulfed

those　parting　words　cast　between　two　graves；　unknown　to　all　creation；

like　the　cry　uttered　in　a　desert　by　some　lonely　traveller　whom　a　lion

seizes。〃



〃And　if；〃　I　said；　interrupting　him；　〃you　were　brought　face　to　face

with　a　man　now　in　this　room；　and　were　told；　'This　is　the　murderer！'

would　not　that　be　another　drama？　And　what　would　you　do？〃



Monsieur　Hermann　looked　for　his　hat　and　went　away。



〃You　are　behaving　like　a　young　man；　and　very　heedlessly；〃　said　my

neighbor。　〃Look　at　Taillefer！there；　seated　on　that　sofa　at　the

corner　of　the　fireplace。　Mademoiselle　Fanny　is　offering　him　a　cup　of

coffee。　He　smiles。　Would　a　murderer　to　whom　that　tale　must　have　been

torture；　present　so　calm　a　face？　Isn't　his　whole　air　patriarchal？〃



〃Yes；　but　go　and　ask　him　if　he　went　to　the　war　in　Germany；〃　I　said。



〃Why　not？〃



And　with　that　audacity　which　is　seldom　lacking　to　women　when　some

action　attracts　them；　or　their　minds　are　impelled　by　curiosity；　my

neighbor　went　up　to　the　purveyor。



〃Were　you　ever　in　Germany？〃　she　asked。



Taillefer　came　near　dropping　his　cup　and　saucer。



〃I；　madame？　No；　never。〃



〃What　are　you　talking　about；　Taillefer〃；　said　our　host；　interrupting

him。　〃Were　you　not　in　the　commissariat　during　the　campaign　of　Wagram？〃



〃Ah；　true！〃　replied　Taillefer；　〃I　was　there　at　that　time。〃



〃You　are　mistaken；〃　said　my　neighbor；　returning　to　my　side；　〃that's　a

good　man。〃



〃Well；〃　I　cried；　〃before　the　end　of　this　evening；　I　will　hunt　that

murderer　out　of　the　slough　in　which　he　is　hiding。〃



Every　day；　before　our　eyes；　a　moral　phenomenon　of　amazing　profundity

takes　place　which　is；　nevertheless；　so　simple　as　never　to　be　noticed。

If　two　men　meet　in　a　salon；　one　of　whom　has　the　right　to　hate　or

despise　the　other；　whether　from　a　knowledge　of　some　private　and　latent

fact　which　degrades　him；　or　of　a　secret　condition；　or　even　of　a　coming

revenge；　those　two　men　divine　each　other's　souls；　and　are　able　to

measure　the　gulf　which　separates　or　ought　to　separate　them。　They

observe　each　other　unconsciously；　their　minds　are　preoccupied　by

themselves；　through　their　looks；　their　gestures；　an　indefinable

emanation　of　their　thought　transpires；　there's　a　magnet　between　them。

I　don't　know　which　has　the　strongest　power　of　attraction；　vengeance　or

crime；　hatred　or　insult。　Like　a　priest　who　cannot　consecrate　the　host

in　presence　of　an　evil　spirit；　each　is　ill　at　ease　and　distrustful；

one　is　polite；　the　other　surly；　but　I　know　not　which；　one　colors　or

turns　pale；　the　other　trembles。　Often　the　avenger　is　as　cowardly　as

the　victim。　Few　men　have　the　courage　to　invoke　an　evil；　even　when　just

or　necessary；　and　men　are　silent　or　forgive　a　wrong　from　hatred　of

uproar　or　fear　of　some　tragic　ending。



This　introsusception　of　our　souls　and　our　sentiments　created　a

mysterious　struggle　between　Taillefer　and　myself。　Since　the　first

inquiry　I　had　put　to　him　during　Monsieur　Hermann's　narrative；　he　had

steadily　avoided　my　eye。　Possibly　he　avoided　those　of　all　the　other

guests。　He　talked　with　the　youthful；　inexperienced　daughter　of　the

banker；　feeling；　no　doubt；　like　many　other　criminals；　a　need　of

drawing　near　to　innocence；　hoping　to　find　rest　there。　But；　though　I

was　a　long　distance　from　him；　I　heard　him；　and　my　piercing　eye

fascinated　his。　When　he　thought　he　could　watch　me　unobserved　our　eyes

met；　and　his　eyelids　dropped　immediately。



Weary　of　this　torture；　Taillefer　seemed　determined　to　put　an　end　to　it

by　sitting　down　at　a　card…table。　I　at　once　went　to　bet　on　his

adversary；　hoping　to　lose　my　money。　The　wish　was　granted；　the　player

left　the　table　and　I　took　his　place；　face　to　face　with　the　murderer。



〃Monsieur；〃　I　said；　while　he　dealt　the　cards；　〃may　I　ask　if　you　are

Monsieur　Frederic　Taillefer；　whose　family　I　know　very　well　at

Beauvais？〃



〃Yes；　monsieur；〃　he　answered。



He　dropped　the　cards；　turned　pale；　put　his　hands　to　his　head　and　rose；

asking　one　of　the　bettors　to　take　his　hand。



〃It　is　too　hot　here；〃　he　cried；　〃I　fear〃



He　did　not　end　the　sentence。　His　face　expressed　intolerable　suffering；

and　he　went　out　hastily。　The　master　of　the　house　followed　him　and

seemed　to　take　an　anxious　interest　in　his　condition。　My　neighbor　and　I

looked　at　each　other；　but　I　saw　a　tinge　of　bitter　sadness　or　reproach

upon　her　countenance。



〃Do　you　think　your　conduct　is　merciful？〃　she　asked；　drawing　me　to　the

embrasure　of　a　window　just　as　I　was　leaving　the　card…table；　having

lost　all　my　money。　〃Would　you　accept　the　power　of　reading　hearts？　Why

not　leave　things　to　human　justice　or　divine　justice？　We　may　escape　one

but　we　cannot　escape　the　other。　Do　you　think　the　privilege　of　a　judge

of　the　court　of　assizes　so　much　to　be　envied？　You　have　almost　done　the

work　of　an　executioner。〃



〃After　sharing　and　stimulating　my　cu